PRO FOOTBALL: NOTEBOOK

PRO FOOTBALL: NOTEBOOK; Woodson Star Quality Could Help Draw Fans

By MIKE FREEMAN

Published: August 23, 1998

The Oakland Raiders have a tradition of good defensive backs, like the Hall of Famers Mike Haynes, the smash-mouth cornerback; Jack Tatum, nicknamed Assassin, and Willie Brown, who scored on a 75-yard interception return in Super Bowl XI. While it is early to put the rookie corner Charles Woodson in that class, if his preseason play is any indication, he is on his way.

Woodson can be a savior to the team in several ways. He can be the iron that the team's soft defense, constantly ranked among the worst in recent years, has lacked. And the Raiders, once one of the top draws in the National Football League, have not been able to put people in the stands. So by helping the Raiders win games, Woodson can also bring fans back to the team.

Woodson has had a great training camp, but last week was his coming-out party. Coach Jon Gruden raised some eyebrows on the coaching staff when he decided to start Woodson against the Green Bay Packers in a nationally televised game. The Packers have one of the best offenses in the game, and starting a rookie against that group is like throwing meat to the wolves.

It turned out Gruden's decision was a smart one. In the first quarter, Woodson made a jarring hit against wide receiver Antonio Freeman that forced the ball loose. It was picked up by safety Eric Turner, who returned it 35 yards for a touchdown.

Later, quarterback Brett Favre threw Woodson's way once more, and the ball bounced off Freeman's chest with Woodson hounding him.

The Raiders' defense caused three turnovers, and that was the biggest reason Oakland won, 27-21, giving the Packers their first loss at Lambeau Field since Sept. 17, 1995, a span of 33 games, including 5 exhibitions.

For years, the Raiders have needed a toughening of their defense. Their offense has not been the problem, with the powerful arm of Jeff George at the helm.

The problem has been drafting top defenders and finding solid defensive free agents, especially in the secondary. One of the most valuable positions on the field is cornerback, and if you can find a great one, it can free the rest of the defense to do other things. Woodson is what the Raiders have wanted for years. They tried with Larry Brown, the former Super Bowl most valuable player, but that turned out to be an unmitigated disaster. He is now with the Minnesota Vikings.

''Charles is really aggressive and alert,'' said Raiders corner Charles Allen, a six-time Pro Bowler. ''He doesn't seem like a rookie. He already understands how offenses will try to attack him.''

Last week in practice, the Raiders got a major scare when Woodson went down while backpedaling during a passing drill, injuring his knee. He was helped off the field before limping to the trainer's room. But the knee was only bruised, and he is scheduled to play against Tampa Bay tomorrow.

Where Woodson can definitely help the Raiders, if the team wins, is bringing fans to the Oakland Coliseum. Because the Raiders won only four games last season, the team has 25,000 unsold season tickets for the 63,000-seat stadium, a staggering number for a professional football franchise. At this time last year, the Raiders had 21,000 unsold season tickets.

Last season, the Raiders played before 18,000 empty seats a game in their home stadium, leaving attendance at 40,000 to 45,000 fans a game. By comparison, the last time the Giants averaged under 60,000 fans a game was the strike season of 1987.

It may take some time for the Raiders to bring in those kinds of numbers. But Woodson will help the team get there. He is such a dynamic athlete, he could almost single-handedly change the fortunes for the Raiders, on the field and in the stands.

Kicker Wide Right of Parcells

Playing for Jets Coach Bill Parcells is tough enough, but for a kicker, it can be brutal. Just ask John Hall.

Against the Giants on Thursday night, Hall flubbed three kickoffs and missed one extra point and a field goal. That did not make Parcells happy. The coach blasted Hall in front of just about the entire team in the locker room afterward, screaming that since his only job is to kick the ball he should be doing better at it.

Normally, Hall is. Last season, many of his kickoffs would sail into the end zone. But last year means nothing to Parcells, which is why he brought in the former Green Bay kicker Brett Conway. He is either competition for Hall or his replacement.

Debt Raised to Pay Rookies

Quietly, the N.F.L. made a move that will affect the way teams sign players, especially high-priced rookies with huge signing bonuses and top free agents. Late last month, N.F.L. owners voted to raise the allowable debt limit a team can carry from $75 million to $100 million. In other words, a team can go $100 million into debt -- normally in the form of bank loans -- without the N.F.L.'s stepping in. The change was basically made because signing bonuses for rookies and veteran free agents are getting bigger and bigger. Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning recently received an $11.6 million bonus, a record for a rookie.

Some teams pay for those bonuses by taking out loans. But as the bonuses have got bigger, so has the debt, and some teams found themselves needing the higher ceiling to afford those soaring salaries. One team was at the former limit of $75 million and could not sign its top two draft picks. When the new limit was approved, the owner took out a loan and was able to sign them.

Some owners hate the new rule, saying the debt ceiling was already high enough, and some voted against it, including the Jets.

At Camp Vermeil, Rams Ache

One of the more intense camps in the N.F.L. this summer has been that of the St. Louis Rams. Coach Dick Vermeil runs double sessions of some three hours each. Players say there is more hitting and running than they have ever experienced at any level of their careers. They are complaining of dead legs, and the season begins in just a couple of weeks.

Some of the coaches say their meetings are marathon sessions. Vermeil, they say, has endless energy, and he expects a lot from his coaches.

''I'm getting too old for this,'' joked one.

Of course, if the Rams make the playoffs, something that has not happened since 1989, the players and coaches will feel like teen-agers.

Photo: A rookie, Charles Woodson, is on the way to being part of the Raiders' tradition of excellent defensive backs. (Associated Press)